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TxDMV issues new license plate design
By Emily Hill, ehill@starlocalnews.com
As they always say, the classic look is usually the best (and safest).
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has released an updated general-issue license plate that is a throwback to the classic black and white design of years before. Dubbed "The Texas Classic," the new license plate features a white background with black lettering, the Lone Star, state silhouette and "The Lone Star State" slogan.
The TxDMV's move to create a new license plate design is based on public safety. The current general-issue design issued to Texans since 2009 was the multi-colored "Lone Star Texas" plate that was picked in an online vote.
In the past, law enforcement agencies, witnesses to crimes and toll agencies have had a difficult time reading the seven-character plate number because the design was so busy and lettering too small.
"That's just a common theme among the officers," Leslie Smith, Little Elm Patrol Operations captain, said. "When they came out, they were very difficult to read. We have to get so close to read it, and that's the problem."
Smith said during a traffic stop, officers must ensure a safe place to pull the vehicle over, open their vehicle door safely if the lane of traffic is close, and give a reading of the license plate to the dispatcher. She said sometimes the officers don't really have that time to send in another reading of the license plate if they have read it wrong the first time.
"We have so much to worry about during those traffic stops. It all starts from reading the license plate," Smith said. "There are so many things the last thing they want to do is correct themselves [to the dispatcher]."
According to the TxDMV website, some drivers even complained that the plates clashed with the color of their vehicles. Instead, the new The Texas Classic presents a simple, easy-to-read design that includes bigger lettering, a new pattern of three characters followed by four, and enhanced security features. The bigger lettering gives police officers a better chance at readability, and the simple black and white colors match well with any vehicle color.
According to the release, the TxDMV is confident that Texans will love the new design since the top-selling license plate for the state's specialty plate vendor, "My Plates," is a black and white design.
However, the TxDMV warns motorists not to trade their current plates for the new one just yet--it may take a full year before all of the counties can exhaust their current stock of The Lone Star plates to save on taxpayer money and prevent waste. Those with The Lone Star plates, which are still safe to use, can keep their plates as long as they are less than seven years old since plates lose their reflectivity and must be replaced.
"The TxDMV Board unanimously approved this plate design because it meets high standards for public safety, and that is our first priority," Vandergriff said.
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